The objective of research in this laboratory is to determine the cellular mechanisms which control the assembly and organization of cytoskeletal proteins. The primary experimental materials for these studies are lines of cultured cells. In particular, neuroblastoma cells, which differentiate into neuronal-like cells in vitro, are used to study the patterns of microtubule protein utilization during neurite outgrowth. Major research goals include: 1) determining the synthesis, turnover, and intracellular distribution of cytoskeletal proteins during neurite differentiation; 2) assessing the molecular basis for the control of assembly of structural proteins using in vitro polymerization assays, quantitative immunochemistry, and biochemical characterization of subunits; and 3) examining the spatial organization of structural proteins during neurite extension by electron microscopic and immunofluorescent staining techniques.